With Bajaj Auto at the helm of affairs, KTM is doing away with its single-cylinder engine in the sub 500cc segment of bikes.
KTM is developing an all-new twin cyliner engine for its upcoming middleweight motorcycles for the Indian market. With Bajaj now calling the shots, it has been learnt that the new engine is likely to debut at EICMA 2027 while available in new-gen KTM bikes from early 2028. This engine is developed in-house by Bajaj’s R&D team based in Pune. It will be the third sub 500cc engine in KTM portfolio after the 373cc and 399cc units. For those asking, it is not related to the recent sightings of a RC 490 prototype in Europe as they are equipped with CFMoto-sourced 449cc powertrain.
KTM had restrained itself from developing twin-cylinders in the A2 license category till now due to the higher costs, which subsequently translates into significantly higher prices of the bikes. And, needless to state, aggressive pricing is one of the key factors to success in the Indian market. However, as the market is evolving gradually with the likes of BMW coming out with a twin-cylinder bike, KTM has finally taken this plunge.
With the introduction of this new engine, the brand will finally move away from single-cylinder mills. Though exact displacement is not in public domain yet, we expect it to be a sub 500cc powertrain. It could spawn a new family of KTM bikes which will be positioned above the 390 motorcycles to take on the formidable rivals from Kawasaki, BMW and TVS.
The new twin-cylinder engine will be rolled out under Europe’s A2 license category, which means it cannot have power output greater than 47 bhp. The introduction of this engine will be curtains for the ongoing 399cc LC4 engine which powers the 390 Adventure and Duke models. It is projected as the ideal powertrain in the rapidly growing sub 500cc engine segment.
It is safe to assume that the new twin-cylinder engine will be more powerful than the current single-cylinder engine. In addition, we can expect exhilarating riding experience, better NVH levels and refined performance. The brand is already in the process of rolling out a downsized version (350cc) of the 399cc engine in India with power output around 40 bhp.
The new twin-cylinder engine will debut with the 390 Duke range and later extend to the Adventure and RC models. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if this powertrain eventually makes its way in the Husqvarna motorcycles. We have learnt that groundwork for this new engine has already commenced in India at Bajaj’s R&D centre in Chakan, Pune.
